


His Exception

by Rinari7



Category: Sanctuary (TV)
Genre: Books, F/M, Fond Arguments, Helen Defending Her Library, My Unpopular Opinion: I Agree With Nikola About The Beatles, Nikola Hoarding Books, The Beatles - Freeform, Wine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-11 10:32:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11712588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rinari7/pseuds/Rinari7
Summary: It's Helen's house, and she'll make the rules and do as she likes, thank you very much. (And sometimes she likes the proof her presence is worth it to him.)





	His Exception

The first strains from the gramophone were greeted with a loud, drawn-out groan, and the dull _thud_ of a book being snapped shut.

“You know, last time I heard, cruel and unusual punishment was outlawed in most civilized countries.” Nikola sat stiffly  where he had folded himself in the red leather armchair, as the recording echoed around the library.

Helen noted with pleasure that the vinyl was still in pristine condition, as she returned to the table, the tome she had been perusing gaping open at page 767. “Sgt. Pepper is considered by most with any taste to be a masterpiece, thank you,” she scoffed.

“Oh, I beg to differ,” he muttered darkly. Accompanied by a heavy, voiced sigh, his book slowly crept open in his lap, only to be slammed shut again not thirty seconds later.  
“I can’t concentrate this way, Helen. You know my ears are sensitive.”

She arched an eyebrow. “I didn’t think it was possible to _blast_ Für Elise, and yet somehow you managed it over the facility intercom last week.”

“I couldn’t think over the ruckus from the SHU, what with that pair of Draco umbris in heat. I thought it would help to calm the vicious beasties down.”

Her eyebrow rose higher.

“Not one of my best ideas, I admit it,” he held up a hand, “but it was worth a shot. Nevertheless, in this case it’s less about the decibel level and more that _that_ —” he jabbed his index finger towards the gramophone cart, “— does not even remotely count as _music_.”

“My house, my rules, and I definitely say it counts as music.”

“Tyrant,” he muttered, disgruntled but with no real bite.

“Mhm,” she murmured dryly, and poured herself another glass of wine.

Nikola stood, Sumerian text in hand, bringing his empty glass to the table for her to refill his as well. “Thank you. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll be reading elsewhere until this _cacophony_ has ceased.”

He headed towards the door, but Helen’s hand on his elbow stopped him short.

“With _out_ the book.”

“But —”

“The entire point of the library is for the books to be easy to find and access. Between the laboratory and your bedroom, you must have at least twenty of my books hoarded, and no others leave this room in your hands until some of them return from that void.”

“But they’re all essential for my research! And I would never lose them.” He frowned, a vaguely insulted tint to his gaze.

“I know that.” She brushed her thumb over his arm, to mollify him, because she did know that, for all his carelessness with wine, he really did love books. “But you can do your research here. I’m serious, Nikola.”

“Not with that ruckus going on, I can’t.” He gestured towards the gramophone.

She sighed. “Five songs. Then I’ll switch out the records.”

“Two.” He folded his arms over his chest, taking a sip of his wine.

“ _Five_ , Nikola.”

“Fine.” With a huff, he retreated back to his armchair again, setting the glass down on the end table, and slowly turned back to his book, glowering at her until the last possible second as he pointedly put his fingers in his ears.

His silence on the matter didn’t last long, thirty seconds at most. “You know, if it were anyone else, I would have already put on some actual music, and possibly broken the disc that carries this abomination.”

“I know.”

He glared at her again, and she just smiled serenely. (It may have been part of the reason she put the Beatles on in the first place.)


End file.
